Children with SEND: Assessments and Support
Debate between Ian Lavery and Rachael Maskell(3 weeks, 2 days ago)
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Rachael Maskell
I absolutely do, and I congratulate the hon. Member on all the work that she has done in this area. We certainly know, for instance, that emotionally based school avoidance often happens because the culture is wrong in the classroom. We need the right culture not only in the school, but in the community, because a child’s life continues through school vacations, into the summer and so on.
Ian Lavery (Blyth and Ashington) (Lab)
Some 122,000 people have signed the petition, many of them from my constituency of Blyth and Ashington. I have met the teachers, the educators, the authorities, the parents and the schools. The default position, rather than assisting and supporting the individuals involved and the families who are in most need, appears to be putting as many barriers in their way as practicably possible. Does my hon. Friend share those views? Is that something that she has recognised in her discussions?
Rachael Maskell
I really do congratulate my hon. Friend: I know how hard he works on behalf of children in his constituency, and they could have no better champion. His observations are absolutely right. Parents in particular face so many barriers and are often pushed away from the learning environment. When I went to Scandinavia to look at the education system around SEND there, they drew parents right into the heart of the school. Parents had co-produced the support that their children could have and ensured that they could get full support around their education.